Letters of Lydia Maria Child, with a biographical introduction by John G. Whittier and an appendix by Wendell Phillips.

140 LETTERS.
TO MRS. S. B. SHAWV.
WAYLAND, 1859.
I would gladly come to meet you, to save you
trouble; but for no other reason. As for turning us
out of our chamber, we transfer only our bodies; and
should you consider that any great trouble, for the
sight of a precious friend? Moreover, suppose it was
any trouble, be it known to you that I would turn
myself out of my house, and live in a tree, any time,
for you. Please put quite out of your head all idea
that your coming will give me trouble. In the first
place, I wvill promise not to take trouble. In the
next place, I would inform you that the world is divided into two classes: those who love to minister
to others, and those who like to be ministered unto.
I think I belong to the first class. I also belong to
the class described in " Counterparts: " those to whom
it is more necessary to love than to be loved; though
both are essential to my happiness. Bad, is n't it?
for a childless woman of sixty years. But then my
good David serves me for husband and "baby and
all." What a singular book is that " Counterparts."
It has some of the inspiration of the tripod, and some
of the confusion also. The philosophy is sometimes
unilt(elligible, and the moral influence in some degree
dubious. How gorgeous is the style; how the embroidery and the jewels are piled on! It made me
think of Madame Bishop's singing. She was so fond
of fioritune in music, that when she sang some common, simple air, even Rosa was sometimes puzzled
to recognize it. Yet Madame Bishop charmed me
with her tone-embroidery, and so does this woman
with her word-em broidl ery. Some of her comparisons